The rivals for the Victorian Premier League 2 crown are separated by just a single point heading into the final round of the campaign, with the Sheppartonians currently sitting in pole position.
Carley’s charges gained reprieve on the weekend of August 22, as second-placed City fell to an unexpected 3-1 defeat at the hands of Kingston City - to produce a further plot twist in this compelling run-in to the season.
The Suns were left facing an uphill battle down at Shipston Reserve, as the Bayside Argonauts came quickly out of the blocks to take the lead just three minutes into proceedings via Mitch Cooper.
From there, the visitors rallied to produce a swift response, with Mangara Munguakonkhwa finding the back of the net on the 15 minute mark.
However, the dismissal of stalwart Bryan Nyetam-Mawo represented a major juncture in the battle, as the Suns were faced with the prospect of playing the remaining hour of action with ten men.
It appeared that the sending off had lit the touchpaper for the away side, as top scorer Curtis Hughes added another strike to his tally in 2026, to fire the championship-chasers into the lead.
The Argonauts refused to lie down easily, though, and an equalizer from Kosta Apostolopoulos on the stroke of half-time proved pivotal.
“I thought we started quite slow, we conceded really early and weren’t on our game - but that’s not to take anything away from Bayside, who were brilliant on the night,” Suns boss Carley said of the first 45.
“First-half was probably a bit too lacklustre for my liking and losing Bryan made the game very tough.
“We did well but the turning point for me was conceding right on half-time.”
The one-man advantage eventually proved significant for Bayside as the introduction of Max Murray from the bench proved a masterstroke - with the substitute netting a quick-fire brace to establish an unassailable 4-2 lead.
He fired past Alexander Georgopoulos in the 72nd minute, before putting the result beyond doubt five minutes later.
“The effort was there but we were just a little bit off in terms of our performance - I thought the better side won on the night and fully deserved the victory,” Carley said.
“We live to fight another day!”
Now, Suns boss Carley is looking ahead to an all-important VPL 2 curtain closer against Box Hill United Pythagoras on August 29.
Issuing a call to arms to the Suns fanbase ahead of the crunch fixture, he spoke of the importance of support from the terraces, if his side is to clinch the VPL 2 crown in less than a week’s time.
“We would love everybody from the whole football community to come together for the game,” he said.
“It really does make a difference - winning leagues doesn’t come around often so hopefully everyone can get down there and cheer the boys along.
“Hopefully they’ll have lots to cheer for come that final whistle.”
